Earlier this year, Microsoft announced its decision to discontinue the Windows Subsystem for Android, which allowed Android apps to run inside Windows 11. However, in May, Microsoft and Tencent announced a partnership to bring Android apps to Windows 11 PCs in China.
The result of this partnership is now live for Windows Insiders in China. Chinese Windows Insiders can now visit the Microsoft Store and explore the Android games made available by Tencent. Popular games, including PUBG Mobile, Honor of Kings, REDnote, and Kuaishou, are already available for download in the Microsoft Store. This integration is similar to the earlier Amazon Appstore integration available in the Microsoft Store.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the Tencent MyApp icon is part of the Microsoft Store's navigation bar on the left. Users can click it to explore all the games available for them to play on their Windows 11 PCs.
Giorgio Sardo from the Microsoft Store team said the following regarding Tencent MyApp availability in the Microsoft Store app in China:
"This collaboration opens up exciting growth opportunities for mobile developers in China to expand their reach and engagement on Windows."
Here's what Tencent VP Lin Songtao said about the partnership (translated) during the announcement in May:
"PCs have a huge user base, and we hope to work with the Microsoft Store and Intel to provide mobile developers with technology, traffic, and commercialization support in cross-terminal integration, jointly promote the prosperity and development of the PC application ecosystem, and bring users a better cross-terminal experience."
As part of this integration, Tencent plans to bring over 1,500 mobile apps and games to the Microsoft Store for Windows 11 users in China. This partnership marks a significant step in bridging the gap between mobile and PC platforms, particularly in the Chinese market. It will be interesting to see how this partnership evolves and whether it expands to other regions in the future.
2 Comments - Add comment